Saturday, August 18, 2007

MEDICINAL HERBS.MYTHS AND FACTS.[SCIENTIFIC HOME REMEDIES.]Prof.DR.S.Damodaran.Ph.D.,T.N., INDIA. RESEARCH ON MEDICINAL PLANTS.

In India there is a sudden upsurge of interest in plant medicines in recent years. Three reasons can be attributed for this.1.The western research with all its high tech instruments focuses its attention on plant medicines because of their high therapeutic potency .2.The allopathic medicine becomes increasingly cost prohibitive with diminishing success rates in case of microbial diseases and 3.India with its rich biodiversity can boost its economy on proper development of plant medicines. Research on plant medicines is a high tech area and requires a thorough knowledge on phytochemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, and pharmacology and interdisciplinary in character. Phytochemistry is highly helpful in the isolation, purification and structural elucidation of bioactive compounds from plants. A Botanistwith sustained hardwork and thorough knowledge in all these subjects can shine well in this field than other researchers because he only knows the intricacies of plants while others view them as molecular machines which on several occasions lead on erroneous conclusions.The following major steps are involved in plant medicines research.1. Selection of the proper plant.[based on traditional knowledge]2. Authentication. [ with the help of govt Botanical survey or regional herbarium]3. Extraction of thebioactive compound.[ by different solvents]4. Purification[ by any one of the methods of chromatography] 5. Assay.6. Identification of the bioactive compound [reagents,Chromatography such as PC, TLC, GLC, and UV, VISIBLE,IR spectroscopy]7. Structural determination by NMR spectroscopy.8. Field trials 9 . Evaluation.10.Patent.11.Marketing. Isolation and identification of bioactive compounds can be rapid by the use of high tech instruments such as SYSTEM MANAGER CONTROLLED HIGH PERFORMANCE THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY[integrated HPLC system] which is suitable for analysis , identification ,quantification,photodocumentation,and micropreperative chromatography. As the system incorporates TLC SCANNER which is fully automatic and computer controlled it is possible for quantitative measurement and spectrum scanning for quick identification /purity check of plant medicines. The bioactive compounds present in plants can be classified intoflavonoids, quinones,terpenoids, and alkaloids. A disease may be cured by any one of these or by all. Conversely a compound may cure a disease or a group of diseases. The extraction, purification, and identification of these compounds and establishing their therapeutic values constitute a branch called phytopharmaceuticals http://sites.google.com/site/phytopharmasindorg. A successful marketing of therapeutically effective compound involves several years of research and millions of dollars. Most of the plant medicines are effective only when they are taken fresh from plants, since they lose their efficacy when they are extracted and purified from plants. This is due to several factors. The parental compound may require additional compounds to enhance its activity that were lost because of extraction procedures or the actual compound would have been modified during extraction.Many of us believe that herbs are present only in Himalayas, Courtallam, and in Kolli hills. [for an album on kollihills visit https://goo.gl/photos/Nuc1g3dnwL5AvoYk7 ] This is not so; In fact medicinal herbs abound around us. All the plants seen from Kashmir to Kanyakumari are medicinal herbs. Totally unrelated plants synthesize the same group of compounds irrespective of their location. For example, kaempferol, a flavone ,and anthraquinones , possessing several therapeutic properties like antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory are present in more than thousand numbers of plants. These compounds are present in totally unrelated groups of plants such as CASSIA and ALOE. Most of the medicinal herbs are weeds. They synthesize their medicinally valuable substances only when they are present in their environment, and there are qualitative changes in the medicinal substances when the herbs are brought under cultivation. Internse agricultural practices such as manuring, irrigation, all change them to a luxury life resulting in qualitative and quantitative changes in their medicinal compounds.Indian people are bestowed with a wide variety of medicinal herbs, which are capable of healing from simple headache to AIDS. Plant medicines require longer duration to cure but have fewer side effects apart from being free of cost. The failure to provide assured therapy to certain diseases by modern medicine and the lack of knowledge about the right choice of a medicinal herb is exploited by the practitioners of Indian system of medicine. What is required now isevaluation and validation of a herb to a disease through interdisciplinary approach and the dissemination of information to the people so that health for all by 2000 will become reality at least in the coming years.scientific home remedies.

HERBAL ROOT FOR SCORPIONSTING.Almost eighty percent of India is rural where people experience scorpion sting then and there and they go to traditional healers to get rid of the pain. The traditional healers chant something [which they bequeathed from their guru] and at the same time touching the place where the scorpion stung with a bunch of neem leaves or something else. Although it involves “faith healing” the sufferers report the persistence of pain for the next 24 hours.In one of our searches for the effective medicinal herbs we came across a seller in a weekly market who earns his livelihood by selling herbal roots for scorpion sting. His instruction is to rub this root on a rough granite stone with few drops of water to get a pinch of watery paste, and this root paste is to be applied on the spot where the scorpion stung. We bought ten roots and gave them to the traditional healers in the villages with clear instructions how to use .The traditional healers reported that sufferers were relieved of pain within ten minutes after the application of the watery paste. We buy the herbal roots from him and supply them to the rural people.WHOLEGRAIN CEREAL BREAKFAST WITH VEGETABLE PROTEIN ANDANTIOXIDANTS.

Experience the power of millet. Using google and wikipedia browse Panicumsumatrense orPanicum sarmenntosum [samai ,little millet],green gram-Vigna radiata and fenugreek –Trigonella foenum-graecum for their high nutional and medicinal value,high dietary fibre content, easy digestibility, and other uses . .Green gram is noted for its easily digestible vegetable protein and high calorific value besides its less flatulent power.Fenugreek is noted for its high medicinal value in the management of diabetes,and lowering lipids esp cholesterol.Take handful of the millet and greengram[hulled ] and add ten grams of fenugreek.Wash and add sufficient quantity of water ,and cook under pressure for 15 minutes .Take out , mash thoroughly and add water to make it a porridge.Add salt to taste.Have it for a simple but easily digestible and assimilable breakfast. Best remedy for obese,diabetic,elders and flat belly aspirants .This is our breakfast for the past ten years. One may experience hunger after three hrs. Click this for a review.

HEALTH TIPS.[FROM OTHER SOURCES.]

Importance of dietary fibers in gastro-intestinal health.Click over the image for zoom and read.

for an album on psoriasis for more pictures with detailsA HIGHLY VALUBLE LINK.This is one of the greatest contributions of ZEE TAMIL through the great Sakthi subramaniyam..He is highly scientific and methodical in approach.FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MANKIND this link is given .Non Tamil people ,listen carefully ,for the botanical name,images of the plant, [later type the name in google images and search ] methods of isolation and follow it Posting from ZEE TAMIL.Paarmpariya Maruthuvam showcases the viewers the significance of our traditional Medicines.Well known herbs specialist Sakthi Subramaniyam explains the traditional medicines and theirimportance, this makes the viewers to know our medical traditions of Tamilnadu and usage ofthose medicines. This show is on air every Monday to Friday 8.30 Am.